Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a press-connecting connector receivable press-connecting terminals therein.
Background
A press-connecting terminal has press-connecting blades which bite into an insulating sheath of a wire, and contacts a conductor in the insulating sheath, thereby making an electrical connection between the press-connecting terminal and the wire. FIG. 4 shows a conventional press-connecting connector having press-connecting terminals received therein. The press-connecting connector includes a housing 1 made of an insulating resin. The housing 1 includes a bottom wall 2, a plurality of partition walls 3 which are formed at predetermined intervals on the bottom wall 2, and extend upwardly from the bottom wall 2, and a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 4. Each of the terminal receiving chambers 4 is surrounded with the bottom wall 2 and each adjacent partition walls 3, and is formed in the housing 1 to be receivable each of press-connecting terminals 5.
The press-connecting terminals 5 each includes a hollow contact portion 6, into which a mating terminal (not shown) is insertable to electrically contact this contact portion 6, and press-connecting portions 8 connected to the contact portion 6 through a bottom portion 7. The press-connecting portions 8 extend upwardly respectively from opposite side edges of the bottom portion 7, and are disposed in opposed relation to each other. Each of the press-connecting portions 8 is formed to have a channel-shaped cross-section, and opposite bent end portions of the press-connecting portion 8 serve respectively as press-connecting blades 9 which bite into a wire 10. The wire 10 has a conductor 11 covered with an insulating sheath 12.
In this construction, the wire 10 is positioned above the press-connecting terminal 5 to be disposed in registry with the space between the press-connecting portions 8. Then, a press-connecting jig (not shown) is moved downwardly to press the wire 10 into the space between the press-connecting portions 8. Accordingly, the press-connecting blades 9 bite into the insulating sheath 12 to contact the conductor 12, thereby connecting the press-connecting terminal to the wire 10.
In order to enable this pressing operation by the press-connecting jig, the upper side of the housing 1 need to be open. In the conventional construction, a cover 13, which is generally in the form of a flat plate, is put on the upper side of the housing 1, thereby closing the upper sides of the terminal receiving chambers 4 with this cover 13.
In the press-connecting connector of the conventional construction in which the cover 13 is merely put on the housing 1, dew condensation is liable to develop within the terminal receiving chambers 4, and the production of dew condensation invites the possibility of an electric leakage. More specifically, when the cover 13 is merely put on the housing 1, a gap 14 is formed between each of the partition walls 3 of the housing 1 and the cover 13 as shown in FIG. 5, so that there is a possibility that moisture intrudes into the interiors of the terminal receiving chambers 4 through these gaps 14.